Chapter 32#
Say You Love Me#
The Omega’s heat had subsided, but his breath still carried dampness, exuding the sweet freshness of bergamot.
He felt Rong Yu’s rough fingertip trace over his lips, yet his gem-bright eyes held no panic—only a flicker of interest.
He opened his mouth and bit down on that thumb.
His bunny incisors pressed down.
Leaving a shallow tooth mark on Rong Yu’s finger.
Releasing those two soft lips, Zhen Ye raised his chin grandly toward the alpha. “Stamping your seal for you. Means I agree to you revising the contract details.”
This was the first time Rong Yu had ever received such a novel “seal.” He laughed helplessly. “Thank you, little rabbit. Your seal is very special.”
“Mm-hm.” The rabbit raised his head, hands on his hips.
Rong Yu’s gaze shifted subtly, then he asked offhandedly, “So is this wonderful seal exclusive to me, or have others gotten one too?”
Zhen Ye thought for a moment, then answered, “Others have too.”
“Who? Owen?” Rong Yu’s eyes darkened.
“No, my mom.” Zhen Ye admitted openly. “I liked biting people when I was little. My mom said I was stamping bunny-meat seals on her.”
The gloom in Rong Yu’s eyes instantly dispersed, his expression softening. “Then I’m honored, to share the same treatment as little rabbit’s mom.”
Which, by rough calculation, put him above Owen in the little rabbit’s heart.
Rong Yu was about to head into the shower. As he lifted the door curtain, he thought of something and turned back to the young man, who was still standing there slightly dazed. He called to him:
“Zhen Ye.”
Zhen Ye startled and straightened up. “Here.”
Rong Yu curved his lips, tilted his head to one side to expose his neck, and pointed at the fading bunny-tooth mark there. “Next week you’ll need to stamp here again. Or, if you want to bite someone… you can do it later.”
Once he was clean.
Zhen Ye’s gaze landed there, and immediately his face flushed, heat spreading from his ears down to his collarbones.
Why was he seducing him again.
“Want to make a mark with me?” The alpha’s eyes were deep-set, his face smiling, but the look fixed on him hid a surging desire.
Zhen Ye refused vaguely with difficulty. “Not doing it today…”
Then he glanced at the big white chest with smooth, understated muscle lines, and the rabbit darted off, face red.
The rabbit wept.
No condom.
·
Going into an alpha’s room without a rubber is like eating a meal without chopsticks—you can’t just go flesh on flesh.
Zhen Ye had a big appetite, but he had a tiny shred of bottom line: he absolutely could not get himself pregnant.
Sexually, he really wanted to eat, but without “utensils” it was a no-go.
Zhen Ye returned to his own room upstairs, locked the door, and originally planned to open the curtains and soak up some sun. But the moment he flopped onto the bed, he felt captured by it.
In no time, he had burritoed himself in the blanket and fallen into a deep sleep.
When he woke, it was already evening.
Zhen Ye crawled up, still groggy, as if no amount of sleep could ever be enough.
It seemed that coming here meant he could finally catch up on all half a year of lost sleep at once.
His sleep quality was also much better than when he lived in that shared apartment.
Being able to sleep through until morning, without being woken by weird gaming noises, restaurant drinking games, or toilet flushing—that was a luxury.
Before, he thought living on the mountain was too remote, that even food delivery couldn’t reach his door. But now, he felt nowhere better than this.
So quiet.
Truly, the dividing line between poverty and plenty is whether you can escape noise.
Zhen Ye grabbed his phone and headed downstairs to find something to eat.
The downstairs was quiet. As he passed through the semi-open kitchen area, the motion-activated lights glowed a warm orange at 3000k, gently casting a cozy, comforting light.
Zhen Ye found a pot of spare rib soup in the fridge, freshly re-simmered by the auntie that afternoon. Since no one had touched it, he reached for the handle, then hesitated, wondering if he should find some leftovers instead.
Just then, his eyes caught a large A4 paper stuck to the fridge door.
The handwriting was steady and solid:
【The soup is left for you. There are freshly made bread rolls in the oven. If you’re still hungry, there are little rabbit snacks on the table——Rong】
The smooth lacquered surface of the fridge reflected the upward curve of the young man’s lips.
Zhen Ye carried the clay pot to the table, mumbling to himself, “What rabbit snacks…”
There was a happiness in his tone he didn’t even realize.
He opened the plastic bag on the kitchen island and peered inside.
Banana chips.
The banana chips the little rabbit loved.
After the soup was heated, Zhen Ye ladled himself a bowl and sat down. Taking small sips of soup, he squeezed and kneaded the banana chip bag in his hand.
How did Rong Xiansheng know he loved these?
Oh, maybe someone told him during the move.
Because Zhen Ye really was a hoarder.
With snacks he loved, he usually couldn’t bear to buy them. When he finished them, he would smooth out the packaging and store it, bound into neat stacks with rubber bands.
At his move, he had told the workers beforehand to just throw all that stuff away.
But somehow Rong Yu must have picked one up from a random corner, looked at it carefully, and remembered it.
Zhen Ye raised the soup bowl, downed a mouthful of hot soup, and it warmed him all the way from his throat to the bottom of his heart. His eyes grew wet, blurring.
Drip.
A water droplet, when his slender lashes trembled, accidentally fell into the soup bowl, spreading ripples in rings.
Zhen Ye turned his damp face away.
The hardest thing in one’s life, and the thing you want most, is simply to be truly seen and earnestly satisfied.
Strange.
At least tonight, Zhen Ye felt he had truly felt Rong Xiansheng’s love.
·
【Je t’aime! ????..???? (heart gesture)】
With long, elegant fingers, Rong Yu took down the note on the fridge. He silently read the word, and smiled. Coincidentally, the auntie came over with vegetables to wash, asking cheerfully:
“Rong Xiansheng, what does that foreign phrase mean? I saw it this morning—I thought it was from Young Master Zhen, so I didn’t dare remove it. I just left it for you to take a look.”
Rong Yu gave a calm smile. “It means ‘I love you.’ It’s French.”
“Oh, no wonder I couldn’t understand.” The auntie laughed. “Young Master Zhen is so impressive, knowing such a romantic language.”
Rong Yu hummed in agreement. “He studied there for a while. His grades were excellent—perfect GPA.”
The auntie secretly glanced at him. Rong Xiansheng spoke calmly on the surface, but in his expression there was an imperceptible pride, as if Zhen Ye’s academic excellence honored him as an elder.
That behavior made the auntie momentarily unsure of the relationship between Zhen Ye and him.
But anyone who works as a domestic knows not to ask too many questions about the employer’s affairs. Shu Guan had always instructed that the housekeeper and staff need not live in, and once their hours were over, they had to leave the mountain immediately—no lingering. Auntie Hu was smart enough never to ask why.
“Rong Xiansheng, will Young Master Zhen be back for lunch? I want to know if I should cook an extra bowl of rice.” Auntie Hu changed the subject.
“I’ll ask him.”
Rong Yu wheeled his chair to the side and called Zhen Ye. The phone rang many times before it was answered. From the background noise, Rong Yu could tell it was very chaotic on the other end.
“Hello?”
Zhen Ye’s voice was lowered, and he spoke hurriedly: “Rong Xiansheng, is something the matter?”
Rong Yu frowned. “What are you busy doing?”
“Working.” Zhen Ye said it as if it were only natural. “Carrying plates at a hot pot joint.”
His heat was over—what else would he do but come back to work? Besides, he hadn’t settled this month’s pay yet.
“…”
A dead silence.
Zhen Ye had an inexplicable feeling that the easygoing Rong Yu might be brewing a temper. Because this was equivalent to: I’m providing your food and board, yet you still go out to work—aren’t you looking down on me, your sugar daddy?
Zhen Ye thought that if Rong Xiansheng got angry, he could fully understand. He was mentally prepared for the blaze.
Instead, the call came back with a soft, eerie:
“Didn’t you say you love me? Why won’t you come home and eat?”
Zhen Ye: “…………”
That tone…
So, so husband-material, ahhhhh.
Over here, the duck blood in Zhen Ye’s hand nearly dropped.
Over there, the eavesdropping auntie’s mouth formed an O.
The corners of Zhen Ye’s lips curved up while his mind went crazy: dammit, I shouldn’t have written that note to tease him. This alpha just grabs it and makes a whole scene out of it.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Rong Yu pressed on, righteous and bold.
“…”
At that moment, Zhen Ye felt like a guilty break-up Omega. He stammered, hesitated, and finally couldn’t help but give in a little. “I’ll finish up these three days and then quit. From now on I’ll focus entirely on… family.”
Rong Yu: “Quit today.”
Zhen Ye finally managed to set the duck blood safely onto a customer’s table, phone wedged between his ear and shoulder, and protested in a low voice, “No way. I haven’t gotten my money yet—three thousand.”
Rong Yu, perhaps exasperated into a laugh, said, “Why don’t you check your bank balance?”
Balance? What?
Zhen Ye was stunned. He opened the app and discovered a sum of money that had just arrived his account that morning. Silent, he counted the string of zeros: “Units, tens, hundreds, thousands. Three thousand—”
“—Ten million???!!”
His horrified yell made everyone in the hot pot place turn to stare at him with contempt. “That serving boy has lost his mind.”
What ten million.
A plate carrier, not doing his job, playing fantasy games here?
Just then, by the window, someone waved impatiently. “Hey, waiter! Bring us a plate of lettuce, hurry!”
Zhen Ye turned to give him a glance.
The next second, Zhen Ye ripped off the dirty apron at his waist, crumpled it into a ball, and casually tossed it onto the nearby serving cart. That rogue energy surged up from his bones. He lifted his chin, just short of provoking a fight:
“Sorry, but my ‘dad’ told me to go home and inherit ten million. I quit.”
The phone call hadn’t ended yet, and Rong Yu knew that this scoundrel of a rabbit was deliberately shouting it for his benefit, mocking him. He couldn’t help but laugh.
In the hot pot place, the whole room burst into clamor. Those who had just sneered at Zhen Ye for going crazy looked foolish now, red from neck to crown. A few even smiled obsequiously, trying to catch up with Zhen Ye to add him on WeChat and be friends.
Zhen Ye paid them no mind. He turned and went into the kitchen to tell the boss he was done.
The boss was decent enough. Deducting for his heat leave, deducting for the remaining three days he’d missed, he still settled Zhen Ye’s pay at 2,200 yuan.
Zhen Ye couldn’t be bothered to even open WeChat to take the money. Right now, two thousand yuan wasn’t money to him. Stepping out of the greasy hot pot shop, the moment he stepped into the sunlight outside, he felt like he was floating.
Ten million.
The closest he’d ever gotten to that number in his life was last year, when Cheng Zhiran sent him a New Year’s text: “Wishing you three ten millions—million in health, million in pleasure, million in sweetness.”
Who’d have thought that before the New Year even arrived, he actually had ten million.
Zhen Ye sat on the flowerbed by the side of the road, brain overloaded. Not knowing who to share this earth-shattering news with, he tremble-texted Cheng Zhiran:
【Bro, your mouth is blessed】
【I’ve got ten million】
Cheng Zhiran replied fast: 【Wow, you’ve got sex now? With your sugar daddy? I knew he’d cling to you! Who wouldn’t crave my bro’s bod, slurp slurp】
Zhen Ye: 【No, like, genuinely ten million】
Zhen Ye: 【Picture】
Cheng Zhiran: 【…………?????? Don’t. Wait. Am I having that dream where my bro gets rich again (pinching my thigh)】
Zhen Ye was about to reply “I also suspect I’m dreaming,” when suddenly his phone screen jumped to an incoming call page.
Zhen Ye saw the caller ID, and his brain, which had been buzzed by money, sobered slightly. He hurriedly answered:
“Grandma, hi. Have you eaten?”
On the other end, Zhen Yuzhen was fiddling with the rice. “Dear, Grandma made the stir-fried chrysanthemum greens you love. Come keep Grandma company for lunch.”
For a person who had lived to this age, life counts down. Every day you spend with them is one less.
Zhen Ye immediately agreed. “Okay, Grandma. Wait a bit for me.”
But after hanging up, he remembered there was an alpha at home pressing him to come back. Unable to help it, he sent a message to Rong Yu.
【Rong Xiansheng, sorry, my grandma suddenly called me over for a meal. I probably can’t have lunch with you, but dinner is guaranteed】
He thought Rong Yu would call him again immediately.
Unexpectedly, the man, seeing his reason, was instead very accommodating: 【Go ahead. Give your grandmother my regards. Buy some nutritional supplements to bring—wish her a speedy recovery】
Zhen Ye couldn’t help but send another sticker: 【(little rabbit holding up a big heart.jpg)】
Then he hastily turned off his phone, not daring to see what the man would reply.
He hailed a cab by the road and made it to his grandmother’s house just in time for lunch. Seeing that she had forced herself to cook two of his favorite dishes, Zhen Ye felt a pang of heartache.
“Grandma, don’t work so hard anymore. Your health can’t take it. Tomorrow I’ll hire a helper auntie to take care of you, okay?”
Zhen Yuzhen knew Zhen Ye’s financial situation well—she wouldn’t bear to spend the money her grandson had struggled to earn. She shook her head with a smile. “Don’t waste the money, dear. As long as you’re willing to come visit Grandma more often, Grandma will already be much happier.”
“Grandma, I have money now.” Zhen Ye knew she was just reluctant to spend. He pressed on, “And how is hiring a caregiver a waste of money? That’s money spent right where it counts.”
“Dear, where did you get that money?” Zhen Yuzhen’s brow furrowed.
Zhen Ye of course couldn’t tell her he was being kept—that would just send the old lady into a fury. So he exaggerated, mixing truth with fiction, saying it came from a wealthy boyfriend. To make it seem real, he even told Zhen Yuzhen about Rong Yu’s physical situation.
Zhen Yuzhen had always been open-minded. Hearing her little rabbit’s ears turn red while describing their first meeting, she bopped him lightly on the nose and teased:
“No wonder the moment you stepped in, I caught a scent on you. That young man is quite thoughtful—knowing you were in heat, he kept protecting you with his soothing pheromones.”
“You say his legs have a disability—that’s hardly a big deal. Technology is so advanced now, maybe one day he’ll be cured. What matters most is that our precious likes him.”
Zhen Ye made an “mm-hm” sound, hoping to hurry past the topic of where the money came from.
But Zhen Yuzhen, seeing her lonely child finally have someone, was filled with joy. She took Zhen Ye’s hand and patted it warmly, then asked directly:
“So, when is your Mr. Rong going to come marry into our family?”